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Senegalese President Macky Sall, in his capacity as President of the African Union, had a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday 9 March. Macky Sall hailed the ” listen » and the « availablity “of the Russian President” to maintain the dialogue for a negotiated solution to the conflict “. Senegal, though considered an ally of the West, abstained during the vote on the UN resolution condemning the use of force by Russia in Ukraine. Resolution adopted by a large majority. A position defended by Aïssata Tall Sall, Senegalese Minister of Foreign Affairs.
RFI : What did Presidents Macky Sall and Vladimir Putin say to each other during their telephone conversation? ?
Aissata Tall Sall : This telephone conversation took place at the initiative of President Macky Sall, who thought that in his capacity as President of the African Union, as a member of a continent outside of this conflict, that it was possible that he speaks to President Putin to ask him if it is possible for him to agree to a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine. In the name, not only of the humanitarian cause, of the cause of human rights, of the situation that this might generate on the plan and of world geopolitics, and the interview was very respectful one of the other.
And did President Putin respond to the demand for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine ?
In any case, he promised President Macky Sall that he would do everything to find a solution through dialogue, he was very attentive, he did not close the door.
Has the fate of African citizens stranded in Ukraine been discussed ?
The president has already spoken regarding it, he issued a press release deeming it inadmissible that African citizens should be discriminated once morest and especially mistreated at the borders of Ukraine, and he sent a letter on March 7 to President Putin, and President Putin began the interview to remind him that he had indeed received this letter, that he had understood, that he was sensitive to it.
On March 2, Senegal abstained in the vote on a UN resolution condemning Russia’s use of force in Ukraine, so why this position? ?
This is a principled position of Senegal. When there was the situation in Crimea, Senegal abstained, Senegal has doctrine and jurisprudence on the diplomatic level. And you see, when the situation demanded that Senegal vote once morest Russia at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, well Senegal did so in complete freedom, in complete independence, because then it had considered that this massive exodus of Ukrainians and other nationals living in Ukraine had become something intolerable, this is what we call our diplomacy of sovereignty, without exclusion but without exclusion. the Senegal is for peace, Senegal is for African interests because Africa must count in the concert of the world.
Non-alignment is a concept that dates back to the Cold War, so today does this abstention not amount to endorsing the law of the strongest? ?
But no, what are we witnessing? To a resurgence of the cold war exactly. If Senegal and Africa give themselves this position of being able to intervene as an arbiter to be an actor of peace, well why not.
Is this consensual position linked to the fact that Macky Sall currently chairs the African Union, in other words, would Dakar’s position have been different if Macky Sall did not have these responsibilities? ?
So yes and no, because I have just reminded you that has always been a diplomatic position of Senegal, but also President Macky Sall takes into account the fact that he is also President of the African Union, or President of the The African Union does not very often allow him to adopt positions that are too clear-cut, there has to be a mediator.
Is there any embarrassment at the African Union, whose countries have expressed divergent positions, is there any unease ?
But no, there is no embarrassment, each State is sovereign, that we respect as current president of the African Union.
But the African Union had called on February 24 for imperative respect for the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Ukraine. Is this not contradictory with this abstention ?
Absolutely not. When we called for the integrity of Ukraine, we recalled a strong principle alongside Ukraine. Now, where we backed off was when we were told, “ come condemn Russia », but when the situation evolved in the direction of this massive exodus, of non-respect of human rights, of discrimination, there we immediately said no, and we voted once morest Russia in Geneva. This position of Senegal is a considered position, it is not a carte blanche that we give to anyone, we give our position which is a position that everyone must understand, or in any case accept.
